We Know Lesbian Drama When We See It

Have you seen the new lesbian cop show on TNT this summer? You know, “Rizzoli & Isles”?

I like the not-so-subtle story line of Jane Rizzoli, a Boston police detective, and Maura Isles, the Boston medical examiner, being hard-ass professionals on the streets, but in the evening somehow they end up “accidentally” falling asleep in one of their beds.

Now, maybe I’m just biased because as a fifty-something lesbian I view this show from a slanted perspective, but I don’t need the subtitles to know what’s going on. Hollywood has figured out a great way to give us the lesbian story without being called out by the religious right and pinched censors. And I’d bet that plenty of those self-righteous nay-sayers are hanging on their couches every Monday night watching Rizzoli and Isles lesbian out and loving every second of it (if you know what I mean!).

Rizzoli is played by Angie Harmon, who I remember best from Law & Order; and Isles is played by Sasha Alexander, best known as NCIS agent Caitlin Todd. The relationship between the two is palpable, often conflicting with each other on the job, but always making up before the show is over. Isles comes from a wealthy family, and Rizzoli is the product of blue collar parents. A great combination when it comes to creating that screen tension we need to have in any good drama. But, the tension I notice comes more from two attractive women who lay together on the bed, seem really close, and fight with each other like any good couple does.

And like any good lesbian couple, there’s one who’s a little butch and one who’s a little femme. You’ll have to watch to see which is which, but I bet you can deduce that just from the concept of a homicide detective and a medical examiner being pals, best friends, girlfriends, etc. Which one is the ball-breaker, and which one is kind of neurotic, and too honest for her own good?

Even though it’s not the best series I’ve ever watched, I’ll keep watching it because we don’t see good female police officer roles very often (so sad when Jane Tennyson retired!). And how often do we see women medical examiners on the tube?

The intro is a photo montage showing Rizzoli in her uniform, and I’d like to see more of that. But the worst thing about this show is believing that Lorraine Bracco is Angie Harmon’s mother in the series. What’s up with that? Wasn’t there an older woman available for the mother role? You can’t tell me that, even though Hollywood types are preserved to the hilt, they couldn’t find someone who looks a little older and more motherly than Bracco.

I’ll keep watching Rizzoli & Isles. They were smart to have it follow “The Closer” – another strong woman lead role – but do they always have to be cops? Thank yew!

This show IS good! I was concerned that Angie Harmon would continue with the lipstick-n-hair-n-nails role she had on L&O. Instead, she’s become a believable third(?)-generation Boston cop on R&I. And OMG, she has a rockin’ body!